The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1887-01-07
AN IMPORTED BUTLER.

AN 1MHURlED BUlIER.
Mr. Peleg V. Atkinson was a good
man, and, if he had been a poor man,
he would have been a happy ne. But,
unfortunately, he was rich, and he had
gone to Europe-as the amiable Sir
Lepel Griffin once said-to finish an ed
ucation that never had been begun at
home.
Peleg V. Atkinson. without the
''Mr.," which, in obedience to what he
was assured was a New York custom,
he always had engraved on his cards,
was worth much at the foot of a check.
Ii was a great name in the Philadel-
phia marts of trade. Third street knew
and honored it, and it was not un-
known in Wall street. As / said, he
was rich; he had SKINNED the cream
off Europe" as he phrased it,. and he
exhausted all the pleasure that could
be had from drinking Sauterne at
luncheon, when he preferred beer or
ice water, and of making a collection
Of. modern French pictures. He had a
Corot and a Meissonnier, a Vibert and
a Detaille. He never bought two spec
imens of the same artists work. He
talked of his pictures as examples"
He had orchids, a cellar of good wine
and two pretty daughters, and yet he
vas not happy, because Mrs. Peleg V.
Atkinson was not happy.
IL is not easy for people accustomed
TO the pleasures of being well to do to
bear the weight of riches. When / first
knew the Atkinsons they were thor
Oughly contented. They drank ice
water when they chose; dined at noon,
and corned beef and cabbage was a de-
light to them. On hot days MIR. Akin
son threw off his coal after dinner,
stuck a pipe in his mouth and sat in the
back door in his shirt sleeves, while
Clarissa orJennie played Listen to the
Mocking Bird or ''Silvery Waves by
way Of refreshing him before he went
down to the Office at the factory. "Ou
sont les neige d'antanP" asks Villon.
And Mr.. Atkinson, in after years Of
~splendor, often asked the same cues
ton, in less poetical language, as he
thought of those happy days. Alas!
there could be no more sitting under
the grapevine arbor and smoking the
pipe Of peace! Mrs. Peleg v. Atkinson
would no more make the mint julep
with her own fair hands and come out
to waken him from blissful sleep as he
sat IN the yard with a newspaper over
bis head to keep off the flies on blissful
and drowsy afternoons. Then Mrs.
Atkinson was satisfied that her four
white stone steps were equal in size
and palior to her n~eighbors', and thai
there was no window glass in the whole
town of Philadelphia more dazzling
than hers; but now ---l
Clarissa and Jennie played only
Chopin; they could not possibly condo
scend aver to opera music, although
not ayerse to a dash into Wagner
occasionally. He dined by candle light,
In q dress suit and a stiff white shirt
bosom. which he was always tempted
10 cover up with his napkin. He had
taken a house just outside of Washing
ton far the winter, for Mrs. Atkinson
saw no chance Of making suitable
matches for her daughters In bel
native city. The best society was
closed 10 her; she lived on North
Broad street, and therefore Clarisss
and Jennie could not possibly 60 to tn
Assembly k-sa; and above all things
outside Of heaven, Of coufse-Mrs
Atkinson preferred what is GALES
society.
Mrs. Atkinson, who was what Is call
acapable womaE. had come to know
the social characteristic Of American
cities a. swell as she used 10 know tn
points Of . good fowl when she di'
her GA marketing IA PhiladeIphia
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